Random Access

Tuesday – 02 December 2008
Another day, another dollar seventy cents (or something like that, after taxes).

Stray Toasters

• I talked with Adam again last night. All’s (still) well in the northern hinterlands. Our parents are headed out there tomorrow; Chelsea’s folks are already there. I can’t wait for the stories.
• Grace has learned a new word: “Bobo,” a character from one of the books that Bot and read to her. Still no “Mama,” yet, though… much to Bot’s chagrin.
• By way of SaraRules and the “Welcome to the Land Behind the Zion Curtain” file: Buttars takes aim at stores waging ‘war on Christmas’
• Rachel sent me an item that I hadn’t seen before: Physics doesn’t exist, it’s all about Gnomes
• I don’t mean to downplay this, but doesn’t this come under the heading of “Duh…” – Chances of WMD attack in big city greater: report
• Every time I drive past an Arby’s or especially when I see one of their commercials with this logo…

  

  …I laugh. Not because “I’m thinking Arby’s” is funny. Rather, the image looks more like “I’m thinking giant penis.” (Someone pulled a fast one over on the guys in the marketing department.) Seriously… look at the young lady and the guy on the right and the looks on their faces – they aren’t thinking about curly fries or a “Five for $5” roast beef sandwich combo.

• Disgruntled 8-year-old boy crashes teacher’s car
  …which, after I shared the link, was followed by:

  : Next article: German churches find ‘chocolate Jesus’ tasteless”
  : Clearly someone used poor quality chocolate in their chocolate jesei

• With the apparent demise – or at least long-term coma – of WizKids and HeroClix, I decided to scrape the site for as many of the character cards from the last eleven sets as I could get.
• Steampunk sewing machine

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Monday – 01 December 2008
And so, another work week – and another month – begin.

I was lucky enough to get to spend a portion of my morning on the phone with HP Tech Support explaining why they needed to ship me a replacement for a replacement part they sent last week. Short answer: They sent the wrong part. *sigh* This time, I sent to an email to the rep, so that he could see the differences bewteen Part A (the part I need to have replaced) and Part B (the part they sent). I should have the new – and hopefully correct – replacement part tomorrow.

Stray Toasters

• As I mentioned last week, there’s a new member of the family – now complete with pictures.
• By way of SaraRules:
  • As Taboos Ease, Saudi Girl Group Dares to Rock
  • Atlantic Records Says Digital Sales Surpass CDs
  • Kanab Orchestra Thrives Under Long-Time Maestro
    
• By way of comes an interesting read about comic book cancellations and why the Big Two keep churning out mega-crossovers: “Why you feelin’ sorry for him? He asked for it…”
• How Dan Kaminsky broke and fixed DNS
• I just discovered that a coworker used to play Star Fleet Battles, many moons ago.
• I read a news article title from Wired.com – Genetically Modified Peanuts Could Save Lives – and my first thought was of Charles Schulz’ comic strip… new and improved! Finally, Charlie Brown can kick that football! lj user=”everydave” pointed out the following:
  

  “sure..but the mutation would be across the board…so while CB might be able to finally kick the ball..the ball, now sentient, is going to come back and reign down hell on ol’ chuck in retaliation…”

• Best Book Covers of 2008
• Yiddish in Jazz
• Meetings. YAY!

Namaste.

Sunday – 30 November 2008
Today is the last day of November. It’s odd to think that we’re almost in December already.

It’s been a lazy day. It started off with sleeping in – which is a pretty good way to kick off a Sunday, I must say. Next up was football and breakfast. And coffee. Tasty, hot coffee.

After the first games, SaraRules and I headed to her parents’ place… for more football and hanging out. We also worked on this year’s Christmas card. *nod* Later this evening, we might watch Hancock. We’ll see.

Football
What do and NY Giants’ WR Plaxico Burress have in common?

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
3 – 34
The Bengals took on the Ravens in Baltimore today. The game wasn’t televised here, but I followed the game on NFL Game Center.Joe Flacco threw for 280 yards, 2 TDs and 0 interceptions. Mark Clayton even got in on it, with a 32 yard TD pass to Derrick Mason. Clayton also had a touchdown, as did Todd Heap.On the other side of the ball, Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn’t seem to pull his offense together into a fully-cohesive unit. He did put together a good drive near the end of second half… but he couldn’t turn it into six points. Sorry, and .

—

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers
35 – 31
The Panthers took on the Packers at Lambeau Field. Jake Delhomme passed for 177 yards, with 0 INT. He also ran for one touchdown and DeAngelo Williams ran for four more. The game came down to a Jon Beason interception of an Aaron Rodgers pass, with 1:09 left in the 4th Quarter.

—

Miami Dolphins at St. Louis Rams
16 – 12
The fish took on Marc Bulger and the Rams in St. Louis. After a 1-15 run last season, the Dolphins had pieced together a 6-5 season coming into this game. It wasn’t a powerhouse game. Chad Pennington threw for 166 yards, 0 INT. RB Ronnie Brown ran for Miami’s only touchdown. The game came down to the last forty-two seconds (00:41), when Andre Goodman picked off a Marc Bulger pass.

Stray Toasters

• I talked to Adam for a bit, earlier. Chelsea and Caden are home, both are doing well. He hasn’t sent or posted any pictures yet, but there should be some forthcoming.
• Trains on the Brain
• I have a taste for sushi.
• Vintage space age illustrations
• From Slashdot: Diet of Fast Food and Candy May Cause Alzheimer’s
• From Irregular Webcomic:



• Mile-long secret tunnel in central London for sale
• From the “Spreading Christmas Cheer” file: Large Candy Cane Used to Beat Threatening Neighbor
• Top 10 Comic Book-Based Movies of All Time

Dinner time!

Namaste.

Saturday – 29 November 2008
Today’s been action-packed. SaraRules, Rachel and I got up and had coffee/tea before we hit the ground running. Our first stop was Rich’s Bagels for a bit of breakfast. It was SaraRules’ recommendation, as Rachel had said that she wanted “real” bagels for breakfast.  It was the first time that I’d been there, but it was a nice place.

Next stop: The Garden of Sweden. Objective: EXPEDIT (birch finish), for the office closet. And a few more NYTTJA frames. And a couple other miscellaneous items.

Back to the apartment. Rachel headed back for the southern reaches a little after we got back. Logan called and asked if we wanted to go with him to see Transporter 3; we said “sure.” He came over and we headed to the theatre. The movie wasn’t what I’d call “cinema verite,” but it was entertaining. And fun. I had something of a revelation about 30 minutes into the movie: It was an odd amalgamation of Smokey and the Bandit and the old kung-fu movies of the 70s and early 80s. That made me smile.

Back home and then over to SaraRules’ parents for dinner. Thanksgiving leftovers. And they were just as tasty today as they were on Thursday. We watched The Fast and the Furious while we ate.

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig. SaraRules and I set about putting together the new bookcase – we finished it in about 45 minutes… including time for me to put a bid in on a Superman Prime ‘Clix. And now, I’m deciding on whether or not I want to go to breakfast. (Decisions, decisions…)

Namaste.

Friday: Coda
Dad called a few hours ago to let me know that Adam (Sib-3) and Chelsea have a new addition to the family. That’s right, I’m an uncle… again. Both mother and baby are fine. Details and pictures to follow, as they become available.

Rachel came up from Cedar City and joined us for coffee. SaraRules’ brother, Logan, came and hung out with us, too.

Tomorrow: The Garden of Sweden. Amen.

Steve (SaraRules’ Dad): I used to fall asleep inside Helen¹ all the time.
I think that I laughed for a good two to three minutes over this.

SaraRules (to Logan): I’ll pay you 50¢ to suck on that².

¹ – Helen was the name of an old comfy chair he used to have.
(Why he named it Helen, the world may never know…)

² – Logan had just picked up the turkey neckbone (to throw it away) and held it up like he was going to take a bite of it.

Thursday – 27 November 2008
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Last night, I watched Tropic Thunder with SaraRules and her family. I was originally ambivalent (at best) about seeing this movie. After seeing it, I have to say that I not only enjoyed it… I laughed my ass off at parts of it. (Not a bad thing, given that today is Thanksgiving and will be a “pile on the pounds and calories” fest.) It was silly, mindless, turn-off-your-brain fare, but it was well-done. And, Robert Downey, Jr. playing an Aussie playing a Black guy was very funny, as well. If you’re looking for a light – and funny – way to pass an hour and a half, this isn’t a bad way to go.

Today, I slept in. Way in. Double-digits in. And it was good. SaraRules stopped by and picked me up for Thanksgiving dinner. And football, which I’m watching now. The Titans vs. the Lions – the best team in the NFL vs. the worst team in the NFL. I’m not sure that I’d call 35-10 “a game,” as much as a “blowout.” But, it’s football. And that’s enough. Soon there will be food. Lots of food. And sweet potato pie. Selah.

Stray Toasters

• MightyGodKing takes a look at the last year of Spider-Man in Brand New Year.
• It’s the Superman Next Door
• By way of :



• I just saw the new/latest/whatever trailer for The Spirit.  I like.
• I just spoke with , who is on his way to visit his family for the holiday – he said that it’s (nearly) time for the holiday season “stop driving like an idiot” posts from the Council for Better Driving.

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Sunday – 23 November 2008
Today’s been good on a number of fronts:

• I got to sleep in (a bit).
• I watched football.
• I watched the stats tracking of the Eagles-Ravens game.
• I went to the Garden of Sweden with SaraRules.
• I played City of Heroes. (I know…!)
• I hung out with SaraRules’ family and watched more football.

Pretty much any way you look at it, that’s a day full of goodness and win.

Wednesday – 19 November 2008
After work – and after taking SaraRules to pick up her car – we headed to Best Buy. I picked up Wall·E, Season 1 of Smallville and The Illusionist. With my goodies in hand, we headed back to my place, where SaraRules made a rather tasty chicken and spinach gumbo.

Later this morning, I get to make the trek over Point of the Mountain and go to Happy Valley for a bit. Yay. Hopefully, I’ll be back in SLC by or shortly after lunch.

Stray Toasters

• I have to thank Sib-3 for pointing me in the direction of Fringe.
• Speaking of Sib-3, he and my sister-in-law are expecting their first little bundle of joy in a few weeks – it’s a boy.
• It’s fairly common knowledge that if I get to choose how God appears to me, I want him to look like Morgan Freeman. However… last night, I was poking around Amazon.com for Christmas presents and stumbled across The King James Bible, read by James Earl Jones and thought: “That’s awesome!” I mean, how cool would it be to have an audio version of The Bible narrated by Darth Vader… Mufasa… King Jaffe Joffer… Admiral Greer… I mean James Earl Jones?!
• These comics, from Invisible Spiders, amused me: One and Two
• And, on the topic of zombies: 4 Things to Keep in Mind While Killing Zombies in Left 4 Dead

I should probably start getting ready to head to the southlands.

Namaste.

After reading the story about the man who tried to pay his bill with a drawing of a spider:

SaraRules: Would you accept a drawing of a spider as proof that I love you?
Me: Of course!
SaraRules: Excellent.

Me: Aww… I love you, too.
SaraRules: Sweet action.
Me: *print*
Me: *stick on cube wall*

Three guesses who my “Human of the Day” is for today.

Monday – 17 November 2008
This past weekend was… something of an adventure.

SaraRules wanted to head to Cedar City for the dual purpose of seeing the SUU production of Facing East and to get a few things from her storage unit down there. I’m almost always up for a road trip… or a play… or seeing the other MFAs, so this sounded like a good idea to me. Saturday morning, we got up and under way. We hit the road around 10:00 AM. We neared Scipio around noon.

And that’s when the fun started: Dropping into the valley that Scipio is in (about 2 hours south of SLC), the engine started revving and the RPMs jumped by roughly 2000.  Oh, and there was no acceleration.

Great.

We pulled over to take a look under the hood.
Nothing leaking.
Nothing spewing.
Nothing smoking.

We got back in and started up again.
First gear… good.
Second gear… good.
Third gear… third gear…? Bueller?  Bueller?

So, we dropped it into second gear and rode the shoulder into Scipio. We stopped and the Eagle Landing gas station. There were a couple of tire guys there – we hoped that they’d be able to offer a little insight. Not really. Their best suggestion was to head over to Richfield (40 miles away) and wait for something to open up on Monday. *blink blink* There were a couple of other gas stations on the other side of the freeway; we decided to go for a second opinion.

As we got to the other side of I-15, we noted that the other stations’ garages were closed. But, there was a sign for the Scipio Garage, which was just down the street. And, away we went. We got there and the garage door was open. This was a good sign! We stopped the car and walked into the mini-store that was connected to it.

*cue the theme from Deliverance*

Once the owner decided that neither SaraRules nor I had two heads on our shoulders – and that we really did intend for him to get out of his chair to take a look at the car – he went outside to see what I could discern about our problem. He looked under the hood and found the transmission fluid dipstick. He pulled it out, looked at it and put it back in.

Then he did it again.
And a third time.
And a fourth time.
And, yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus was a fifth time. But this time, he smelled the stick, too.

He said that the transmission fluid didn’t smell burned, but that it was possible that there was air in the pump. His suggestions included getting the car towed or trying to get back to Provo or SLC.

We went with Option #1: Get back to Provo or Salt Lake City.

For those of you who’ve never had to do it, let me just say that driving 30-40 MPH on the shoulder of a nominally busy freeway is not the most fun way to travel. Rumble strips. Road kill. Blow-out debris. But, you do what you have to do. We got to Nephi (formerly home of the Motel 8 “NEHPI” sign) about an hour later. We pulled off the freeway and decided to drive frontage roads/state routes back to the Provo/Orem area.

Scenic, yes.
Slow, yes.
But we made it.
And, we even discovered a Dairy Queen knock-off in Santaquin called… Santa Queen.  (Yes, we had the same images pop into our heads, too.)

We got back to Salt Lake around 4:00 PM. After a quick stop at my apartment for a bite to eat and use of the water closet, we moved the bags into my car and attempted the southern trek once more. We were more successful this time… although we didn’t get to Cedar City until after 8:00, which meant that we missed the play. We did get to go into the theatre for the post-performance talkback, though. We had dinner with the MFAs. And we crashed at Rachel’s.

Yesterday morning, we got up, got ready and headed over to the storage unit. We found the items that SaraRules wanted to bring back, loaded them in the car and got back on the road. We were back in SLC around 2:30 PM. I dropped SaraRules – and her stuff – at her parents’ and headed to go play ‘Clix with Chris and Perry. Chris (of course) schooled us; I came in second and Perry got a nice box of Rice-A-Roni.

This morning, we took SaraRules’ car to the shop. Let the pros figure it out, we figure.

And that’s how I spent my summer vacation weekend.

Stray Toasters

• Since posted this the other day, I figured I’d try it, too:

  39.5 miles per gallon

  Created by The Car Connection

• ‘s stepfather sent me a link to a neat PowerPoint presentation about the SR-71
• By way of and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Man tries to pay bill with spider drawing
• What do you get when you cross the 44th President-Elect with a videogame? Super Obama World
• For those who haven’t seen it yet: The new Star Trek trailer

Back to it.

Namaste.

Thursday – 13 November 2008
There’s a mix of sun and clouds here in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain: To the west, there’s blue sky… to the north, it’s a little cloudy.

Last night was a quiet night. I stopped by to see for a bit. She seems to be doing much better.  Her mother – whom I haven’t seen in three-plus years – is also in town, so I had the opportunity to visit with her, as well. After that, I hung out with SaraRules and her folks for a bit before heading home.

Stray Toasters

• My work desk set-up is: Defiant (my laptop) flanked by two PC monitors; with a few PCs on the floor. The monitor on the left serves as the secondary monitor for the laptop, the one on the right is connected to two of the PCs. I also have powered speakers that I usually connect to Defiant, with the subwoofer resting behind the laptop screen. Standing atop the subwoofer, I have a Captain Sisko Hallmark ornament and a Green Lantern figure.

  A few minutes ago, the Sisko figure fell forward and wound up leaning against Defiant‘s screen. (How apropos is that..?) It looks almost as if he’s trying to peer into the monitor to see what’s going on.

• sent a few interesting items my way:
  • Game show winner gives money to local food bank
  • Russian church missing, presumed stolen
  • Luminescent fiber optic wallpaper
    
• 
• This Sinfest cartoon pretty much says it all…
• …and I’m not really sure what to make of this.
• The Obama Secret Service code names have been revealed… along with past presidents’ handles.
• Legislator in the clear over collection

Namaste.

Tuesday – 11 Nov 2008
Yet another in the work-a-day grind.
But, I hit the ground running and got a couple of items off of my task list, right after I got in.

Last night, I watched the 49ers – Cardinals game with SaraRules and her folks. I wasn’t expecting a lot out of the game, to be honest. I was pleasantly surprised that an actual football game broke out. Kurt Warner still looks fairly impressive – it was almost like he couldn’t throw a bad pass if he tried. The receivers and running backs did good jobs. And on the other side of the ball, Shaun Hill (SF’s 3rd string QB) did a good job of leading the team, including an impressive end-of-game drive that very nearly won the game for SF.

Stray Toasters

• Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know
• And, in a related note, by way of SaraRules: Michelle Obama’s real-world style
• And, since we’re dealing in style/fashion, sent these two “tasty” items:
  • Chocolate Superhero Costumes
  • Chocolate Show
• Comic Book Resources has a couple of new trailers for Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
• An interesting read: The Comic Book Virgin Reads Watchmen
• If you kids (or are just a big kid), you may be familiar with Marvel’s Super Hero Squad toys. Marvel Comics is now showing the (mis)adventures of the heroes and villains in daily strips (1, 2, 3) on their website:

  

  …and…

  

• Six Real Gadgets Minority Report Predicted Correctly
• Thunder!
  Thunder!
  Thunderpanties HO!
  (Blame/credit to for this link.)
• Djimon Hounsou to voice BET’s Black Panther

And stuff.
And whatnot.

Namaste.

Monday – 10 Nov 2008
It was… an interesting weekend, to say the least.

Saturday was a sleeping-in, lazy day… to a degree. SaraRules, her mother, her brother and I went to the Garden of Sweden to pick up a few things. Okay, okay… I (ostensibly) went as an observer, but wound up finding a few things that I couldn’t live without. Next on the docket was a couples massage at The Spa Club, that SaraRules had signed us up for. It was nice. Very nice, indeed.

The relaxation of the massage, however, was somewhat undone by some extended family drama. *grblsnrkx*

I spent a few pre-breakfast hours Saturday evening trying to be productive: I took pictures of and prepared some auctions for some of my extra HeroClix. I should be posting a few auctions this evening, God willing and the creek don’t rise.

Sunday was good: Another sleep-in morning, followed by football. SaraRules and I watched the Titans-Bears game, while I watched the “coverage” of the Ravens-Texans game on NFL.com. The Ravens wound up with another game in the “W” column, which makes me happy – and it means that they’ve already done better than last season’s record.

I headed over to Far West Comics to play dolls ‘Clix with Chris, Nano and Eric. We went with 800 points per player. We broke up into two-player teams: Eric and Nano vs. Chris and me. The teams broke down like this:

• Chris
  • Batman
  • Doctor Destiny
  • Dr. Strange
  • Green Arrow (Oliver Queen)
  • Superman Prime
• My team (themed: Sinestro Corps)
  • Arkillo
  • Batman (Sinestro Corps)
  • Parallax
  • Sinestro
• Eric
  • Benjamin J. Grimm
  • Gamora
  • Hulk (Zombie, dual Hero-/HorrorClix figure)
  • Rampaging Hulk
  • Superman (Justice Legion A)
• Nano
  • Emperor Joker
  • Green Arrow (Connor Hawke)
  • The Flash (Justice Legion A)
  • Living Lightning
  • Time Trapper
  • Trigon
  • Warskrull

And then, it was “Game on.” Chris came out of the gate like gangbusters. Eric had flown his Superman and Gamora to the mid-map area. Chris took Superman Prime, picked up an object and swatted her for 7 clicks of damage, right off the bat… insta-kill.  I was really looking forward to using Arkillo, after hearing Chris talk up the figure last week. Unfortunately, Eric and Nano had other ideas: They put Rampaging Hulk, Ben Grimm and Trigon in close combat. And then, just for an added measure, had Eric’s Superman ping him from long range. *sigh* Oh, well… I guess I’ll have to use him another time.

Chris had good success in using Doctor Destiny to Mind Control Trigon and use his special power, Doppelganger, against the other team. So, we played a game of attrition: We got rid of Eric’s part of the force and the front half of Nano’s team. The we settled in to take on Green Arrow, Flash and… Trigon. Our team consisted of Batman (Sinestro Corps), Parallax, Doctor Destiny, Prime and Dr. Strange. The problem with Trigon – aside from Psychic Blast and Ranged Combat Expert – is his Mystics team ability:

When this character takes damage from an attack, it deals 1 damage to the attacker. This damage may not be evaded or reduced.

We beat up Green Arrow, Chris used Mind Control and Doppelganger to get rid of the Flash… and then it was just the big guy to deal with. Fortunately, Nano dealt Trigon a few clicks of damage by pushing him and we had a couple of figures who did 3, 4 or 5 clicks of damage when attacking him. So, taking a click here or there was worth it.

In the end, with the remnants of our teams, Chris and I came away with a win.

After the game, I headed over to SaraRules’ parents for dinner and football. Not a bad way to wind up the evening, I must say.

Stray Toasters

• Whoa… I just found this on the WizKids site:
  

  The Topps Company announced today that WizKids will immediately cease operations and discontinue its product lines. Scott Silverstein, CEO of Topps, said “This was an extremely difficult decision. While the company will still actively pursue gaming initiatives, we feel it is necessary to align our efforts more closely with Topps current sports and entertainment offerings which are being developed within our New York office.”Upon notifying our partners, Topps will immediately pursue strategic alternatives so that viable brands and properties, including HeroClix, can continue without noticeable disruption. To that end, WizKids will continue supporting Buy it By the Brick redemptions for Arkham Asylum, and the December Organized Play events for HeroClix.

  For consumer announcements, please refer to www.wizkidsgames.com over the coming days for further information.

• For SaraRules (and any other Tim Burton fans): Tales of the Unexpected
• Thanks to for the following: What if The Matrix ran on Windows?
  See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.
• Thanks to SaraRules for pointing out: Before Obama, There Was Bill Cosby and Transgendered Man elected mayor of Silverton
• Circuit City Files for Bankruptcy

And that’s it for now.

Namaste.

Friday – 07 Nov 2008
What better way to kick off a Friday than with a little Johnny Kemp?

Yeah. And there you have it. I believe that’s the first Dance Break we’ve had in a while. I’ll have to see to it that there are more in the future.

Last night, SaraRules and I went to The Paris for her birthday dinner. I haven’t had a lot of experience with French cuisine before, but this restaurant was very nice. Great service. Excellent atmosphere. And wonderful food. I had a rotisserie chicken, prepared in a “lavender honey glaze,” and it was simply wonderful. Succulent, flavorful… delightful. I’ve eaten many chicken dishes – including different takes on rotisserie chicken – but this seriously beat them. Hands down. If you are looking for a new or different dining experience, I heartily recommend The Paris.

Back home for CSI:, MythBusters and Letterman.

Then I called it an early (for me) night.

Stray Toasters

• Change.gov – The Office of the President-Elect
• This video, aptly entitled “Parenting Fail,” was sent to me by way of . I watched it and was shocked… and horribly amused.

  In the words of the guys from ESPN’s SportsCenter:

  “That kid got what…?”
  “JACKED UP!”

• The 5 Most Scientifically Plausible Sci-Fi Movies
• Also from : and the “Cool and Interesting Tech” file: New type of overpass coming to Utah County
• Letters from Johns
• Jack, relax
  Get busy with the facts
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Stick entered into the Toy Hall of Fame
• This has to be one of the most interesting – and odd – remix/mashups that I’ve ever seen – Gwen Stefani and The Soggy Bottom Boys:

• All of us get lost in the darkness
  Dreamers learn to steer by the stars
• This made me laugh for many reasons. , you really need to check it out. Really.

Groove on, brothers and sisters.
Groove on.

Namaste.